Monday, July 3, 2017

Do You Know Where Your Intent Is?

Most of us think of intent as a “kind of” “sort of” thing:
you intend to go on vacation, but you really don’t do much about it. Or you
intend to go to the market, but some other errand got in the way. Or you intend
to ask your boss for a raise, but you got cold feet and chickened out.

Which is a waste of a valuable tool, for in truth, intent is
a powerful, dynamic mechanism. It’s not just wishful thinking. It’s a determination to act in a certain way.

Intent is so powerful, that it can alter the outcome of
supposedly neutral scientific experiments.

For example, there’s a well-known effect in psychology
called the “observer
effect” or the “expectancy effect.” Simply stated, a researcher’s hope--their
intent--for what an experiment may reveal impacts the outcome. So if a
researcher expects (intends) the experiment to show improvement in an area, it
more likely will show improvement, and if the researcher expects (intends), on
the contrary, the experiment to show lack of improvement in an area, it more
likely will show lack.

How that works is still a bit of a mystery, although it is
most easily understood through the workings of energy. We are, after all,
bundles of electronic energy constantly transmitting – in ways that are
measureable--and thus impacting each other. But the “observer/expectancy
effect” is why researchers came up with the double-blind method of conducting
experiments, where neither the researcher nor the subjects in a clinical trial
for a new drug, for example, know who’s getting the drug (the real thing), and
who’s getting a placebo (like a sugar pill).

Which is why I pose the question: do you know where your
intent is? Is your intent for a new job, a raise, a vacation, a car, in the
land of “kind of” “sort of”? Or are you recognizing in full consciousness the
immense power of intention and putting it to use for your goals and dreams?

1. How badly do you want it?

If intent is a determination to act a certain way, then the
first thing to figure out is how badly do you want that thing you want? Because
determination requires passion and perseverance, and there’s no way you’re
going to have passion and perseverance if you don’t want something pretty darn
badly. You know the difference. You can want as in “that would be nice,” or you
can want as in “gotta have it, no matter what it takes.” It’s only the “gotta
have it, no matter what it takes,” that can fuel a determination to act.

The “gotta have it” (or “be it” or “do it”) is what lies
behind the achievements of all the world’s greats: the Michael Jordans, the
Steve Jobs, the Bon Jovis, etc. Their 100% intent to succeed at their chosen
fields was the foundation of their ability to get there. So too, can it be for
you.

2. How conscious are you of your intention?

Are you absolutely positively determined to be/do/have
whatever it is? Are you conscious of your intention 24/7/365? Is it in the
forefront of your mind as you go about your day? Or do you let it slip into
those nether regions of half-baked “yeah, well, maybe” that never come to pass.
. .

Intent is only as powerful as it is conscious. Make yours
conscious, and it will serve you well!

About Me

I'm a psychologist, consultant and speaker who has authored over a dozen books, all of which focus on empowering individuals to be happier, healthier and more successful at work, at home and in relationships. The power of appreciation is the theme that runs through all my books, the latest being "Happy Healthy...Dead: Happy Healthy…Dead: Why What You Think You Know About Aging Is Wrong and How To Get It Right.” If you'd like to know more, please visit www.noellenelson.com!
Thank you.